Mumbai: Ranveer Singh has been granted four weeks by the Karnataka High Court to visit the Chamundi Hill temple, as the court indicated it will soon dispose of his plea seeking to quash an FIR in the ‘Kantara’ mimicry row.
The case stems from allegations that the actor hurt religious sentiments during a public appearance, for which he later issued an apology and approached the court for relief.
Appearing for the complainant, advocate Prashanth Methal urged the court to include a cautionary note in its order, stressing the need to discourage celebrities from making such remarks in the future.
“For them, it’s just a case. For us, it is a belief system. Every word carries weight; words are impactful and consequential. Other celebrities should not take this lightly, so let there be a harsh caution from this Court,” Methal said.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna observed that the actor’s conduct called for some admonition, which would be addressed while delivering the final order in the case and said it would issue its decision after reviewing the objections raised regarding the actor’s apology.
The actor’s counsel reiterated that Ranveer is apologetic for his remarks and is willing to visit the Chamundi Hill temple as part of his apology.
In the affidavit, Ranveer stated that he would visit the temple “in due course,” adding that fixing a specific date was difficult due to his schedule and security concerns.
The complainants argued that this wording was vague and urged the court to set a clear timeline.
Advocate Methal responded that any security issue could be handled by the police, stating that the Karnataka Police are capable of ensuring protection.
Justice Nagaprasanna assured that a timeline will be included in the order, Bar and Bench reported.
“While disposing, I will record it, that he will do it in the next four weeks,” he said.
The controversy dates back to the closing ceremony of the 55th IFFI in Goa, where Ranveer, while praising Rishab Shetty for his role as Chavunda Daiva in ‘Kantara Chapter 1’, referred to the daiva as a “ghost” and mimicked a facial expression from the film, which drew widespread criticism online.
Following backlash, a Bengaluru-based lawyer filed a complaint alleging that his religious sentiments were hurt. Based on this, an FIR was registered against the actor, prompting him to approach the court seeking to have it quashed.
